October 31, 2014

With
all the culinaryinfluences that Romania has been blessed with, you would surely
think that we would be well acquainted with the popular Russian Apple Sharlotka cake.Well, not so much, or at least my family
isn’t.Granted, my grandmother has her
own arsenal of apple pies and apple tortes to keep our greedy tummies
satisfied.So, until stumbling across
this recipe for Apple Sharlotka in
the November issue of Food & Wine,
I had never heard of this kind of sweet delight.But I can’t tell you how happy I am to have
finally discovered it.

The Apple Sharlotka is a traditional
Russian apple cake-torte-pie-all-in-one kind of dessert.In fact, I personally find it to be vaguely
similar to the Vanilla Pudding Apple Torte that my grandmother spoils us with
especially during the apple season; just as few if not fewer ingredients and no
need for the glossy vanilla pudding draped all over the cake.The top is delectably flaky, crusty and
thoroughly dusted with powdered sugar, while beneath it the cake is light and
fluffy, not too sweet and spiced with just the right amount of cinnamon, nutmeg
and almond extract to create a heady, appetizing spectacle of flavors.And at the bottom, you are greeted by a
healthy layer of tart juicy and soft apples.It’ll be hard devouring only one slice and most likely, you’ll end up
making this treat again and again.

Beside
the fact that this cake is ridiculously easy to whip up, it’s very likely that
you already have all the ingredients in your pantry and you don’t have to
hastily scramble to the supermarket to fill up the basket.On top of that, the sharlotka goes perfectly
with tea or coffee, and makes for a quick and glorious breakfast or afternoon
guilt-free snack.I know that we’re in
the midst of pumpkin frenzy and I should probably switch my attention to this
autumn staple fairly soon, but right now I just prefer to indulge in the apple
season and this apple sharlotka a tad longer.Happy Halloween everyone!

Preheat
the oven to 350º F.Grease the bottom
and side of an 8 or 9-inch springform pan.

In a
large bowl, toss the apples with the lemon juice and 2 Tablespoons of the sugar
and let stand for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile,
in a small bowl, whisk the flour with the cinnamon, nutmeg and salt.In a medium bowl, using an electric mixer, beat
the eggs with the almond extract and the remaining ¾ cup plus 2 Tablespoons
sugar at medium-high speed until thick and pale yellow and a ribbon forms when
the beaters are lifted, about 8 to 10 minutes.In two batches, gently fold in the dry ingredients just until
incorporated.

Spread
the apples in the prepared pan in an even layer, then pour the batter evenly
over them.Let stand for 5 minutes to
allow the batter to sink in a little.

Bake
the sharlotka for about 55 to 60 minutes, until it is golden and crisp on top
and a cake tester inserted in the center comes out clean.Transfer to a rack and let rest for 15
minutes.Unmold and transfer to a
serving platter.Dust with
confectioners’ sugar and serve warm.